From November until New Year, chocolate is everywhere: selection boxes for the children, tubs on the office desk, tins passed round at family gatherings. Muslims get asked "can you eat these?" a lot at this time of year, and it's a fair question, because a few Christmas chocolates do contain gelatine or alcohol.
The good news is that most mainstream UK chocolate contains nothing haram. None of it is halal-certified in the UK, so the answer comes from the ingredients. Here's what we found, brand by brand.
The ingredient that keeps coming up: E476
Before the brands, one thing to understand. Many UK chocolates list E476 (PGPR), an emulsifier that helps chocolate flow in the factory. It's made from castor oil and glycerol. The glycerol can come from plants or animal fat, and manufacturers don't usually say which, so our checker marks E476 as doubtful, not haram.
Most E476 used today is plant-based, and many halal certifiers accept it. Some Muslims eat chocolate with E476 without worry; others prefer to avoid doubtful ingredients where they can. It's a personal choice. See E476 explained.
Cadbury
Cadbury is the biggest name in UK selection boxes, and in Heroes and Roses tubs. Cadbury chocolate made for the UK is not halal-certified, but its standard bars contain no meat, gelatine or alcohol. What we found in the Cadbury products we checked:
| Product | Our result | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Dairy Milk Buttons | No haram or doubtful ingredients | Labelled vegetarian |
| Crunchie | No haram or doubtful ingredients | Labelled vegetarian |
| Dairy Milk | Doubtful | E476 |
| Twirl | Doubtful | E476 |
| Fingers | Doubtful | E476 |
| Starbar | Doubtful | E471 and glycerine |
So a Cadbury selection box is mostly a question of how you treat E476. There's no pork, gelatine or alcohol in the standard bars. More in Is Cadbury halal?
Mars, Snickers, Twix and Celebrations
Mars Wrigley makes Celebrations and the Mars selection boxes. Its standard UK bars contain no meat, gelatine or alcohol. In our checks:
| Product | Our result | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Snickers | No haram or doubtful ingredients | |
| Twix | Doubtful | Vanilla extract (contains alcohol) |
| Bounty | Doubtful | Glycerine and E471 |
Vanilla extract is made by soaking vanilla in alcohol. Most scholars accept the tiny amount left in a chocolate bar, but some people prefer to avoid it, which is why we flag it. See vanilla extract. For the full picture, read Are Mars bars and Snickers halal?
Nestlé: Quality Street, KitKat and friends
Quality Street tins and tubs are labelled suitable for vegetarians by UK retailers, which rules out gelatine and animal rennet. Like the others, they're not halal-certified in the UK. The standard UK KitKat contains no meat, gelatine or alcohol.
Terry's, Lindt and Kinder
- Terry's Chocolate Orange is labelled vegetarian. Our checker marks it doubtful because of E476.
- Lindt bars we checked, such as the Excellence sea salt dark, had no haram or doubtful ingredients. Lindt's seasonal range includes some liqueur-filled chocolates, so check boxes and gift sets.
- Kinder Bueno had no haram or doubtful ingredients in our checks.
What to watch for in Christmas tins and gift boxes
The standard tubs are the easy part. The ones to read carefully are the gift boxes:
- Liqueur chocolates. Anything with brandy, rum, whisky, Baileys-style cream liqueur or champagne truffles contains alcohol and isn't halal.
- Jelly and marshmallow centres. Chocolate-covered marshmallows and jelly sweets in a selection usually contain gelatine.
- "Luxury" own-brand boxes. Supermarket premium ranges often include a few alcohol-filled chocolates mixed in with the rest. The ingredients list will name them.
- Red and pink sweets. Some get their colour from carmine (E120), made from insects. Scholars differ on it.
Frequently asked questions
Are Quality Street halal?
Quality Street is not halal-certified in the UK, but UK retailers list it as suitable for vegetarians, so it contains no gelatine. Many Muslims eat it after checking the pack for any changes.
Are Celebrations halal?
Celebrations are not halal-certified in the UK. They contain Mars bars such as Snickers, Twix, Bounty and Maltesers. These contain no pork, gelatine or alcohol in their standard recipes, though Twix lists vanilla extract and Bounty lists E471 and glycerine, which some people avoid.
Are Cadbury Heroes and Roses halal?
They're not halal-certified in the UK. Standard Cadbury milk chocolate contains no meat, gelatine or alcohol, but several Cadbury chocolates list E476, which our checker marks as doubtful. Check the tub for any filled sweets.
Are Christmas selection boxes halal?
Most standard selection boxes from Cadbury, Mars and Nestlé contain no pork, gelatine or alcohol. Some bars list doubtful emulsifiers such as E476 or E471. Avoid boxes that include jelly sweets or liqueur chocolates.
Want to check a box you've been given? Scan the barcode or snap the ingredients with our free halal checker, and it will show you exactly what's in it and why.
